Elevator-gate contact device.



i W. D. LUTZ. ELEVATOR SAE CGNTACT DEWCE.

APPLICATWN FILED 8EPT.25, 19.11.

Patented May 9, N16.

rnfrnnr WILAM .'D. LUTZ, OF ALLENDLE-BOROUGH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TG OEIS ELEVATOR CMPANY, F JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A COBFORATON OF iiE-f JERSEY.

ELEVATOE-GTE CNTACT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented May Si,

Application e September 25, 1.911, 'Serial No. 651,1(29.

To all wiom it muy concern:

Be it known that l, Nieman D, Los, a citizen of thellnited States, residing in the borough of Allenchile, in the county of Bergen and State of. New` Jersey, have invented a new and `useful Improvement in Elevator- Gate Contact Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements-in I contact devices such as are used in connection with the gates or doors of elevators for the purpose of rende-rngthe elevator inoperative unless the gate be in closed position.

An object of the invention is the provi sion of 4a contact device which is absolutelycertain in its actionl under all'conditions.

Other objects `will appear hereinafter, the

novel combinations of parts being pointed v out in the appended claims.

ln elevator installations 1t is the usual source of much trouble owing to its failure t0 act at the proper time, and this intro-v duces an element of danger, thereby defeat-- ing the verv object for which it was in tended. Furthermore the usual contact device often employs a spring to open the contacts as the gate or door is opened at a landing and the spring `frequently fails to work since any arcing at the contacts is liable to cause them to weld or stick together.

Since the gateV contacts and the door con tacts are generally connectediin series with each other and include the oar operating circuit, it is' readilyseen that if anyone of these contacts becomes disabled the whole system becomes inoperative and in order to determine which one of the contacts is at fault it is necessary to inspect each onein turn, a job which taires considerable time and causes an unnecessary delay particularly where the elevator is in constant use. rlhen again an elevator attendant will often start and stop the car by opening and clos-- ing the gate or landing doors rather than use the car switcher other operating device. rlhis of course causes arcing at the door con tacts and as before pointed out tends to destroy their usefulness.

My invent-ion overcomes all of 'these objectionable features found in other contact devices and in ,order to understand the invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is a diagrammatic representation of a typical electric elevator system embodying myinvention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the contact device and car gato; while Fi 3 and 4 show the Contact device in closed and open position, respectively, with the cover removed so as to show the working parts.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and', it will be seen4 that the contact device comprises a cast metal casing 46 provided with a cover 32 which has been removed in Figs. 2 and 3, so as better to show the interior parts. The bottom of the casing is open and contains a contact lever 31 which is pivoted at 37. This lever carries a block of insulation 33 to which is fastened a flexible contact or bridging piece 30 made up of a number of thin. Y-

strips of copner or bronze.' These strips are secured together and totheblock 38 by a screw e0, a washer 39 being placed on top of thestrips so as to stiften them and prevent vibration.

29 and 28 are a pair 'of ixed contacts which coperate with the bridging Contact 80 and are secured to a block of insulation 43 which is fastened to the top of the casing by screws or otherwise. Conductors il and 42 lead out of the casing through a hole all and are secured by cable terminals to each of the iixedcontacts 29 and 28. The lever 31' due to its own weight tends to move downwardly and assume the position shown-v in Fig. 3 being limited in its downward movement by the stop 34 engaging the side or the casing. The lever is .iii upward movement by reason ei shown in Fi The lower ver 3l is substantiahy a in surface i. -r portion oi" its length and tovfeid one end 3G it. extends at en angle. an intermediate por tion being recessed at Y liil'lien the door or gate is in open position the iever 3i always down Jhe contacts 29 and 28 are seperated. iis 'the door is closed the roller 2f bereon strikes agairst the plain surface or anis lever and forces it upwardly, carrying contact member 30 into engagement with the ixed contacts, spring tension of the member 30 insuring e goed electrical Contact. i l be noted that the member 30 not only forms abutting contact but a sliding contact es Well, after the member 30' iirst engages the lined contacts nrtner ir .l movement of the same produces ig Contact? thereby keeping the contee l faces bright and cleen and insuring e erm electrical connection therebetween. in oiening'the door or the roller thereon is moved ofi" of the plane sin-ffice c il lever and ben 'li the i' the loer tc drop by nd separate the contacts. the .l refuses to drop @cts this time, a urtl'ier mov ment of 'l door open position carries roll 'the angula -portion 36 of the lever end the iatter is positively meved so as to ope, the contacts. This 'positive opening L'eatnre is oit' great vaine since it insures that the door cannot be moved to open position Without first effecting en openingof the contacts, also the door cannot be closed Without forcing the lever upwardly and closing the contacts.

`vWhile l have shown my improved Contact device as being' applied to the gate or door in the elevator cer, it is to be understood that it may equally Well be applied to the lending doors or any other closure Whether the same be swinging or sliding. Where two or more contact devices are used', I prefer to connect the contacts in series relation in a controlling circuit of the elevator.

The Contact device .may be so proportioned and located with respect to the roller carried on the deor that e very slight movement of the letter toward open position will operate to open the contacts but this is not ab solutely necessary since it is feasible to permit the door or gate to open short distance before operating the contacts providing the amount of opening is not sufficient to permit the passage of a person therethrough.

open the con l have shown and described a preferredi form of my invention, but it Will be understood that various changes in details could readily be made by those skilled in the Without departing' from. the spirit end scope of the invention.

:Weense in a. door contact de Tice, the coinigiinaa. cam'ng., contacts mounted Within casing", a pivoted lever carryi -g a contact member adapted to cooperate with said contacts, a doorj and a member carried by the .seid door and movable therewith for positively operating seid Contact member into and ont of engagement with said contacts.

ln a door Contact device, the 'combination of contacts mounted on the cas- :t member adapted to open and through said contacts, e door, Lng said contact member and adapted by reason of its Weight to move said :o Atact member in open-circuit position, a member cerried by the door, adapted cngage and. positively to move said lever into closed .irceit position and also to move out ci enen ient with. the lever whereby thc latter wil automatically move open circuit position, and a projection on' seid lever adapted 'to be engaged by said door member positively to move the lever into open circuit position.

in a door Contact device the combination with a door, of a member carried by the door and movable therewith, a casing7 contacts fiounted therein and e, lever pivoted to the casing and carrying a contact adapted electri ally to engage seid contacts, seid member being adapted positively to rock the lever about its `pivot in both directions to effect the engagement and disengagement of said contacts upon the opening and closing of the door.

el. in a door contact device, the combination with :i door, of a Contact casing having lined contacts mounted therein, a lever pivoted to the casing, a contact member carried by seid lever end co-ecting with said fixed contactsa and r,v member carried by the said door adapted when moved in one direction positively to move the said lever in circuit closing position and When moved in another direction positively to move said lever in circuit opening position.

5. In a door contact device7 the combination With a door, of a contact casing, fixed contacts mounted within the casing, a lever pivoted to the casing and carrying a contact yadapted to co-nct with said iixed contacts angula' portions of said lever on each side In testimony Where, have signed my ef the vplvot, and e member earned by the neme te thls speclcenon 1n the presence of door adapted te engage each of sind mgm two subserlbmg Wltnesses.

lar 'portions of the lever and thereby p0si- WLLAM D. LUTZ. tively force said lever-contact into and out /Yinesses: y of electrical engagement with seid fixed con 55C/Humm Pxrrmms,

mets. GEORGE BOEGKLIM 

